Weekly Updates

Palladium Open House Update – March 14, 2015

Palladium Open House – May 15-17, 2015 – Westland, Michigan

Please consider this a personal invitation from me,Kevin Siembieda, to come and spend a weekend with the Palladium staff, our wonderful fellow creators, friends and fans from around the globe. At the POH you can ask any questions, enjoy long chats, get autographs from 40+ Palladium Creators, enjoy plenty of laughs, game like crazy and come away with memories that you’ll never forget.

* Special Event: Robotech® RPG Tactics™ “Painting Contest” – bring your best painted Robotech® game piece and see if you win.

* Special Event: Robotech® RPG Tactics™ games galore. Some run by Carmen Bellaire, the co-author of the RRT core rules.

* Special Event: Live Auction (Saturday) – rare collectibles, out of print books, proofreader copies of manuscripts, and original art including some Kevin Long Robotech® II: The Sentinels artwork, animation cels, and rare Kevin Siembieda artwork, books from the Erick Wujcik collection, and more.

* Live panel talks and interviews on a wide range of subjects, with many different people, many question and answer sessions with Kevin Siembieda and others.

* Open gaming at Palladium and designated hotel. Hotel game room is open around the clock and available for additional games.

* Game with the very people who make your favorite games and sourcebooks, like Kevin Siembieda, Julius Rosenstein, Brandon Aten, Carmen Bellaire, Matthew Clements, Greg Diaczyk, Chuck Walton, Mark Dudley, the Mannings, and others.

Note: No Costume Contest this year, but you are welcome to appear in costume if you like, and maybe something special will happen.

* This is not a media event. It is a role-playing game event. That means ROLE-PLAYING GAMES for three days straight! (And for those of you who can make it, VIP Thursday too.) In addition to scheduled games there is an area for “open gaming” for ANYBODY who wants to start a game.

* Only two months away! Order your admissions now!! And spread the word, bring a friend, and have the time of your life.

* IMPORTANT! You MUST make hotel reservations by April 1 to guarantee getting a room. “Palladium Books” Group Rate $109 at Comfort Inn Plymouth – MUST Reserve by April 1 to get Group Rate – Call 734-455-8100 and you MUST request the Group Code “Palladium Books” at the time of booking to ensure the correct rate will be quoted and billed to you.

Meet 40+ Palladium Creators and Game with the Game-Makers

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How often do any of us get to hang out with 40+ Palladium creators or a few hundred gamers from around the globe? Only at the Palladium Open House, and it happens only once every few years. You will NEVER see this many Palladium Creators at any one convention! The vast majority of the people on the list below have “confirmed.” Only those with an asterisk remain tentative.

Amy L. Ashbaugh (Artist)

Brandon Aten (Writer; Triax 2, Madhaven, The Sovietski, The Rifter®)

Matthew Balent (Author of Weapons & Armor, Weapons & Castles, Monsters and Animals, and other titles; he was present at the start of Palladium Books!)

Thomas Bartold (Defiler, writer; Island at the Edge of the World)

Carmen Bellaire (Writer; Powers Unlimited 1-3, Splicers®)

Joseph Bergmans (Honorary Staff Member, Helper and Consultant)

Jolly Blackburn (Creator of Knights of the Dinner Table)

James Brown (Game Master Supreme, Megaversal Ambassador)

Jeffrey Burke (Staff Robotech® Consultant & Artist)

Kent Burles * (Artist)

Braden Campbell * (Writer; Fleets, Thundercloud Galaxy, The Rifter®)

Matthew Clements (Writer: Northern Gun 1 & 2, and much more)

Steven Dawes (Writer; Dark Places, The Rifter®)

Greg Diaczyk (Writer; Rifts® Lemuria and The Rifter®)

Mark Dudley (Artist and Game Master)

Scott Gibbons (Game Designer – play-testing Rifts® board game)

Carl Gleba *(Writer: Megaverse® in Flames, Minion War series, and many others, and awesome G.M.)

Note: Must RESERVE HOTEL ROOM by April 1, 2015 to guarantee a room and get the special $109 rate! Call 734-455-8100 and you MUST request the Group Code “Palladium Books” at the time of booking to ensure the correct rate will be quoted and billed to you.

Meet Knights of the Dinner Table® Creator – Jolly Blackburn, writer, artist, game designer, at the Palladium Open House – May 15-17

Jolly Blackburn, renowned game designer, writer, artist and creator of the fan favorite Knights of the Dinner Table (KoDT) comic – to be released as an independent movie direct to video this summer(!!) – is one of the very special guests at the Palladium Open House. This is one of Jolly Blackburn’s few appearances in the Metro-Detroit Area. He will be accompanied by his sweet wife Barbara.

Jolly Blackburn and I have been friends for . . . gosh, it must be going on 20 years now. We met in the 1990s and Palladium Books was one of the very first companies to advertise in Shadis Magazine. For several years, Jolly would create a short Knights of the Dinner Table (KoDT) comic strip special for each issue of The Rifter®, until the demands on his time became too great. We have remained great friends and I am tickled for myself as much as for you, our fans, to have the opportunity to hang with this truly brilliant author and delightful human being. For those of you who don’t know who Jolly Blackburn is, check out KoDT at the Kenzer Company website (www.kenzerco.com) and see KoDT webcomics at www.kodtweb.com.

And Jolly and Barbara Blackburn are just two of the more than 40+ Palladium creators – artists, writers, staff, etc., you can meet at the 2015 Palladium Open House. Palladium order line (734-721-2903).

There is nothing quite like it

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The Palladium Open Houseis a rare event, sort of like the Olympics in that we only host one every 2-4 years (the last one was held in 2012), making it all the more special. Over the 34 years we’ve been in business, there have been good times and bad times, and through it all we had Palladium fans at our sides and helping out, so this POH is a celebration of YOU, our fans, as much as anything else. So if you can, come and join us for what is going to be a non-stop party and gaming extravaganza. And this one is looking more and more like this may well be the last Palladium Open House. Our last grand party.

Is this really the last Palladium Open House? Kevin has said this about other Palladium Open Houses, but for a variety of reasons, we strongly suspect the 2015 POH will, indeed, be the last one. Do not miss this unique experience, especially if you live in the Metro-Detroit Area or even only a few hours away. Come on over even if it’s just for one or two days. Kevin hopes to see the biggest crowd we’ve ever had at an Open House, and says he looks forward to gaming and spending time with as many of you as he can this May.

We are all gamer geeks like you, happy to talk about gaming, the creative process, movies, comic books and all kinds of subjects. You can have in-depth conversations with many Palladium creators because the venue is so small and intimate, not at all like big conventions. We’ve been told repeatedly by those who have attended past POHs that the atmosphere is like that of a family reunion where they feel welcomed as friends. That’s because you are welcomed friends. We are happy to spend this special weekend gaming and talking about games, writing, drawing and just about anything else you would like to chat about. And you do it all at the Palladium office and warehouse where the magic happens.

You are given unprecedented access to the 40+ Palladium Creators. Most creators are available to you throughout the entire event, so you have plenty of time and access to meet and chat with your favorite Palladium creators in an informal and intimate venue. Which is very fun and memorable all by itself.

Kevin Siembieda will be available to chat, sign autographs, run some games, participate in panel talks and be available to attendees from morning till 11:00 PM every single day. That is true of the Palladium staff and most of the Palladium creators, artists, and writers from around the world! That’s the beauty of the Palladium Open House, it’s not like a big convention. You get to spend real time with Kevin, the Palladium staff and our many writers, artists and creators, up close and personal. And this year that includes Jolly Blackburn and with any luck, we hope Ramon K. Perez can join us for a day or two, as well.

New and different events. We listen to you, so based on fan input we have added the following events. More panel talks with Kevin Siembieda and other Palladium creators. The panel talks include question and answer sessions where you can ask anything, Game Master tips on running games and creating adventures, player tips, talks about game design, writing and getting published, licensing, Hollywood, running a game company, and, well, all kinds of things. Another new event will be a Robotech® RPG Tactics painting competition, so bring your best painted mecha and enter the contest. There will be a Robotech® RPG Tactics™ (RRT) tournament with prizes, as well as many RRT games being run. There is no costume competition this year.

Fan favorite events & features

* Games run by favorite Game Masters, like Brandon Aten, Carmen Bellaire, James Brown, Paul Herbert, Julius Rosenstein and many others.

* Gaming with Kevin Siembieda. Kevin will repeat his Palladium Aftermath event – six games that create one epic story.When: Three games on Friday and three on Saturday.The Setting: Palladium Fantasy. The town of Lord DeSilca.Number of Players: 14 per game.The Premise: The aftermath of defeating Lord DeSilca and the answers to the question, what happens when you liberate a town from a tyrant and would-be Demon Lord?The Twist: Each game is an hour and thirty minutes long, plus a half hour of orientation. When the hour and thirty minutes are over, the players get to keep their signed, pre-generated character sheets and walk away. The next player group plays the same characters but continues the story/adventure at the exact moment where the previous group just left off! It’s epic fun, and the actions of each group dictate what happens for the next set of 14 players!All New: Other than the characters, this “NEW” Aftermath event is all new. That means if you played in the 2012 POH event, you can play in this one too, because this adventure is all new. It picks up shortly after where the 2012 POH event ended.Fun Fact: This dynamic series of interlocking games gives 84 gamers at the POH the opportunity to game with Kevin Siembieda and be part of an adventure involving nearly 100 people. If you include the 2012 POH players, that’s approximately 170 people building a continuing story. Cool, eh?

* Live auction, Saturday evening: Auctioneer Kevin Siembieda will be offering up some truly rare collectibles and unique items. The rarest and most unique items to be offered up in a live Palladium auction – includes a first printing of the Palladium Fantasy RPG®,Palladium Crimson Edition, 1990s Rifts® Gold Edition, and other Gold Editions, as well as first printings and books signed by Erick Wujcik. Oh, plus two dozen pieces of rare, original art (some never published) by Kevin Long, as well as art by Kevin Siembieda, and other good stuff.

* All Palladium products in stock are available for purchase, from prints and T-shirts to books and coffee mugs.

* Rare and special items. We always have a selection of new T-shirts and speciality items available for the first time ever at the Palladium Open House. This year, there is also a wide selection of original art, prints, negatives used to print the books, rare collectibles,signed and out of print books being made available. All pulled from the Palladium archives and Kevin Siembieda’s private collection.

* And more! IN ADDITION, many of the artists and writers bring original art, prints and specialty items for sale from them individually. And some artists like Brian and Allen Manning, Amy L. Ashbaugh, Mark Dudley, Mike Mumah and Chuck Walton (among others) will let you commission them to draw your favorite character. It all adds up to an incredible experience in the building where the Megaverse® is created.

* Open Gaming. In addition to scheduled games there is an area for “open gaming” for ANYBODY who wants to start a game. So Game Masters, bring your books, dice and adventure notes and be ready to game.

Meet and game with players from around the world, try new ideas, and play favorite games. There is space at the warehouse and at the hotel. We have use of the large conference room all weekend, with space for 8-12 games at any given time. This room is ours around the clock and into the wee hours of the morning. We just ask that you keep the volume at a reasonable level so as to not disturb other guests.

* V.I.P. Thursday. See description at the end of this update.

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Price of Admission

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Please register for attendance before April 19. You can pay at the door, but we ask that you purchase your admissions in advance so we can plan enough gaming events to keep everyone gaming and having fun all the time. This helps us immensely.

The price of admission covers ALL events. The price of admission gives you access to all the guests, Kevin and crew, as well as the gaming events (first come, first served), panel talks, and other activities. Three days of non-stop Palladium gaming, laughs and fun.

Weekend Admission – May 15-17, 2015

$45 per person for the “Three Day Weekend” Admission (Friday, Saturday & Sunday). Must be ordered in advance no later than April 19, 2015, to get the $45 price per each individual. After April 19, 2015, the 3-Day Weekend costs $60.

Admission by the Day

$25 for Friday, 9:00 AM till Closing (about midnight). Same price at the door, if space is available.

$25 for Saturday, 9:00 AM till Closing (about midnight). Same price at the door, if space is available.

$12 for Sunday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Same price at the door, if space is available.

$60 after April 19 and at the door for a 3-Day Weekend (Friday, Saturday & Sunday).

$87 additional for “V.I.P. Night” – Thursday, May 14, 2014; 3:00 P.M. till about Midnight. A few “cancellations” have made a half dozen VIP night tickets available on a first come, first-served basis. VIP Night is a special, one-evening event limited to around 100 gamers. You get the delicious dinner catered by Palladium’s very own Kathy Simmons (people rave about her food), plus you get an extra afternoon and evening of gaming, a more intimate chance to talk with Palladium staff, artists and writers, and first crack at rare collectibles, prints and original art.

Methods of Payment

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Placing Your Order: Please include your FULL address and apartment number. Also include the complete NAME of EACH person you are ordering an admissions ticket for, as well as your telephone number in case there is a problem and we need to contact you.

Credit Cards: Visa, MasterCard and most credit cards are accepted. All Credit Card orders must include: Credit Card No. – Name on the card – Address of the Credit Cardholder – Expiration Date – Telephone Number of the cardholder.

By Telephone: Call (734) 721-2903 – have your credit card information ready. You may place your reservation online in a similar way as placing a book order or you may use Palladium’s order line 734-721-2903.

Check or Money Order by Mail: Sent via the USPS or other delivery service. Send check or money order to:

Palladium BooksDept. POH39074 Webb CourtWestland, MI 48185-7606

Please include your FULL address and apartment number. Also include the complete NAME of EACH person you are ordering a ticket for, as well as your telephone number in case there is a problem and we need to contact you.

All admissions tickets are sold on a first come, first served basis, so get your reservations in as soon as possible! Due to space and parking limitations and safety concerns, attendance is strictly limited to approximately 350 participants. We NEED to know in advance how many gamers are coming so we have enough games and events to keep everyone busy. The sooner you order, the better for Palladium. Credit Cards will be charged immediately.

No Cancellations: March 1, 2015 was the last day you could cancel your Open House or V.I.P. order and get a FULL refund, but that date has passed.

All “advance” reservations must be in by April 19, 2015.A name must be assigned to each ticket. No refunds for cancellations after March 1, 2015. No refunds for no-shows.

Admission at the door is available, provided there is still room!

Kathy Simmons will be handling reservations and tickets, so you know everything will be timely and organized.

The Palladium Open House is like a big family reunion or four day party, and this year we will be celebrating the 25th Anniversary of Rifts® and 34 years of gaming with Palladium Books.

Limited space and parking. Attendance is limited to around 300 people. Having sufficient parking is becoming a big issue, so you may have to car pool from the hotel as it is.

CONSENT TO PARTICIPATE AND RELEASE LIABILITY

Important Note: For legal reasons, we must ask all potential guests of the Palladium Open House to read the following Consent to Participate and Release of Liability agreement. By purchasing a ticket to the Open House, you duly agree to accept the terms within this Release. If you don't accept the terms, please do NOT purchase a ticket. Thank you.

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By purchasing an admission ticket(s), I/we do hereby state that I/we wish to participate in activities sponsored by the internationally known role-playing game publisher, Palladium Books, Inc., a Michigan corporation (hereafter "Palladium").

I/we understand that attendance and all activities are VOLUNTARY and that I/we do not have to attend or participate unless I/we choose to do so. I/we understand that by attending the Palladium Open House and participating in panel talks and gaming events that I/we voluntarily accept and assume the risk to myself or damage to or loss of my property. I/we understand and agree that Palladium is not liable for any loss or damage to my/our person, vehicle or property.

I/we understand and agree that Palladium does NOT provide any insurance coverage for my person or my property. I/we acknowledge that I/we am responsible for my safety and my own health care needs, and for the protection of my/our vehicle and property.

In exchange for allowing me/us to participate in the Open House activities and events, I/we agree to release from liability, agree to indemnify, and hold harmless Palladium Books Inc., and any Palladium agent, officer, employee or volunteer worker acting within the scope of their duties, for any injury to my person or damage or loss of property.

This Release shall be binding upon myself/ourselves, successors in interest, and/or any person(s) suing on my/our behalf. We further agree that any disagreements under this agreement shall be resolved under the laws of, and in courts located in, the State of Michigan.

I/we am at least 18 years old and have read and understood this document, and if under the age of 18, I have had my parent or legal guardian read, approve and accept the terms of this Release. I/we voluntarily agree to it as is acknowledged by the purchasing of this ticket. I/we understand that this document is complete unto itself and that any oral promises or representations made to me/us concerning this document and/or its terms are not binding upon Palladium, its officers, agents, employees or volunteer workers. If asked, I/we agree to sign a copy of this Release at the Open House location.

I/WE UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS A LEGAL DOCUMENT. I HAVE READ AND UNDERSTOOD THIS RELEASE AND ALL ITS TERMS AND EXECUTE IT WITH FULL KNOWLEDGE OF ITS MEANING AND SIGNIFICANCE.

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Hotel Reservations Deadline – April 1, 2015

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$109.00 per night – Reserve your room as soon as possible. If you know you are coming, reserve your room NOW. The hotel does not charge your credit card till the day of the event and you can cancel up to a few days before the event. No risk. No cost to you now. And you guarantee your room. Furthermore, the number of double beds is limited. Book your room NOW to get this great price and location (five minutes from the Palladium office). Special Group Rate ENDS April 1, 2015.

Hotel information:

$109.00 (plus tax) per night at the Comfort Inn, a.k.a. “Plymouth Clock Tower Hotel.” That’s $109 (plus tax) for a room with two queen beds, or one king with a sofa that has a pull-out sleeper. ALL rooms have a microwave & fridge, FREE high-speed wired/wireless Internet and there is a FREE hot breakfast from 6 A.M. to 10 A.M. near the lobby.

Comfort Inn – MUST Reserve by April 1 to get Group Rate

40455 Ann Arbor RoadPlymouth, MI 48170Phone: 734-455-8100

Group Code: Palladium Books – you MUST request the Group Code “Palladium Books” at the time of booking to ensure the correct rate will be quoted and billed to you.

The POH is held at the Palladium Books warehouse – 39074 Webb Court, Westland, MI 48185 (734-721-2903 order and info line).

Dates of the 2015 Palladium Open House (POH): May 15-17, 2015. May 14 is V.I.P. Night. – Plenty of places to eat just down the road (Denny’s, Wendy’s, McDonald’s, and many, many others).

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Get FREE stuff and 30% Discount when you run 3 or more games at POH

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Run three or more games and get a FREE special G.M. T-shirt unveiled for the first time at the POH and a 30% Game Master Supreme discount on Palladium’s RPG books, T-shirts and most other items (sorry, excludes original art, limited editions, art prints, auction items and Robotech® RPG Tactics products). We need plenty of games to satisfy 300 gamers, so . . . HELP! Your help is appreciated and welcomed.

Contact us by telephone (734-721-2903) or by email at palladium-gm@palladiumbooks.com. Please contact us as SOON as possible. We want to post updates to the schedule well in advance.

We’re hoping to offer more than 100 gaming events so we need experienced Game Masters to run Palladium events for all of our game lines – Robotech® and Rifts® to Nightbane® and After the Bomb®. Run three or more events to get that special, debut T-shirt and special G.M. Supreme discount.

Palladium Megaversal Ambassadors, Palladium creators, and any experienced Game Master planning to come to the 2015 Palladium Open House – please let us know if you are planning to run one or more gaming events. Thanks.

NOTE: If you commit to running games at the POH you must be serious and MUST be available to run your games. Do not disappoint gamers from around the globe by being unprepared or absent. You also have to purchase your own admission ticket.

Send Game Event e-mails to palladium-gm@palladiumbooks.com

– or call – (734) 721-2903 – and ask for Wayne, Jeff, Julius or Alex.

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POH Volunteers Needed!

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We will need volunteers to help us set up, handle admissions (confirming I.D.s, handing out name badges), store/sales assistance/restocking shelves, collecting garbage, gopher, general assistance, parking lot, etc.

You’ll get a volunteer’s badge and select perks that may include a product discount percentage commensurate with the amount of work and hours put in. NOTE: If you volunteer, please show up. Volunteers have to purchase their own admission ticket.

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V.I.P. Thursday

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V.I.P. Thursday, May 14, 2015 – 3:00 P.M. till about Midnight. An evening with Kevin Siembieda, the Palladium staff and three dozen or more freelancers. Limited to around 100 lucky individuals. (Note: Due to some recent cancellations, there are a handful of tickets still available.)

V.I.P. Thursday includes:

Dinner (5:30 P.M.; no extra charge) with Kevin, the Palladium staff and at least 20 other Palladium creators (freelance artists and writers).

Snacks and soft drinks (no extra charge).

First crack at buying products, artwork, rare items, etc.

Private tour of the Palladium offices by Kevin Siembieda (worth it alone to see the artwork hanging on the walls and hear Kevin’s stories).

An intimate setting where you can chat with dozens of Palladium creators.

Open talk presented by Kevin Siembieda in which he will introduce the many members of the Palladium crew, talk about the latest goings-on, and then open to questions and answers. Any question may be “asked,” though we can’t promise all will be answered.

8-9 hours of gaming or hanging out and chatting with Kevin and the Palladium crew.

Palladium Books® Weekly Update – March 13, 2015

By Kevin Siembieda

Another week has flown by in the blink of an eye. We had intended to post a lengthier follow-up Weekly Update after last week’s, but it has just been one of those whirlwind weeks where we never had a chance to do that. Crazy. We did get a lot accomplished, on many fronts. Jumping from the Bizantium book right into The Rifter® #69 and getting them both to the printer a week apart was a big part of that.

In between that, we engaged in planning and development of Robotech® RPG Tactics™ products and several other new book releases, including Robotech®: Expeditionary Force Marines™, I assigned out the first few batches of artwork for various projects (with much more to go out), met with a new artist, engaged in some business matters, and took care of some correspondence (still so behind on them). And on top of everything else, we prepped and packed for AdeptiCon NEXT WEEK. Very excited about this convention.

IMPORTANT: Before April 1, 2015, you MUST make your HOTEL ROOM reservations for the Palladium Open House. Do it now! Rooms are going fast.

You must make your POH Hotel Room Reservations before April 1, 2015. Hotel rooms are only being held at the $109.00 per night rate (two Queen beds or one King with pull-out sofa-bed) until April First! After that, the rate jumps waaaay up and is likely to sell out overnight due to a number of sporting events and conventions happening that same weekend. Palladium’s block of rooms are going fast. Once they are gone, finding ANY hotel rooms within 20 miles of the Palladium warehouse, at any price, is unlikely. So PLEASE place your room reservations as soon as possible. Note: Your credit card will not be charged until a few days before your arrival in May.

$109.00 per night only till April 1 – Reserve your room as soon as possible. If you know you are coming, please reserve your room NOW. The hotel does not charge your credit card till the day of the event and you can cancel a few days before the event. No risk. No cost to you today. Get your room “guaranteed” reserved. Furthermore, the number of rooms with double beds is limited. Book your room NOW to get this price and great location five minutes from the Palladium office. Special Group Rate ENDS April 1, 2015.